#instafake: “The Final Verdict” (4 of 4)

If you’ve read my previous three posts (here’s Part One, Two, and Three), you might think I’m completely nuts for exposing myself. But chances are, that if you’re in the business, you’ve heard some sort of version of how important your social media presence is and maybe you yourself have embellished a post or two. After a week of being an InstaJunkie, I felt exhausted trying to come up with consistently interesting and relevant posts. I kept a steady ﬂow for about a week, but then I was just kind of over it.

If you’re wondering if I followed up with Sally, I didn’t… and she didn’t check in with me. What I got out of that meeting was much more important than a print agent. I discovered how easy it was to fall down the rabbit hole of comparison, and I realized how quickly the quest for InstaFame could turn into a combination of shame, loneliness and dishonesty.

Moments after I met with Sally and she ran me through some of these InstaStats, I wanted what they had. I completely lost myself in an artiﬁcial reality… and I’m in show business! I know very well how all the behind-the-scenes stuff works, so imagine what effect this can have on a person’s life that doesn’t have all this insider information. Imagine a 13 year-old you looking at some of these proﬁles- what advice would you give yourself on all of it? I think the world has enough unrealistic ideals of how fabulous life should be. Do we really need another Kardashian running around being famous for nothing?

I do admire the people who have been able to tap into this social media world and put it to good use. I applaud anyone who has used the platform to educate on social and environmental issues, share compassionate moments in time or to inspire and elevate one another. Whether you’re an actor, architect, wildlife photographer, fashionista, animal rescue group or even a funny meme enthusiast, I think it’s key to ﬁnd a your niche and consistently cater to it. I guess the best way to look at it is simply as a marketing tool.

Post a little about your hobbies or a cool gig you’re doing. Post a selﬁe here and there, maybe even an inspirational quote that’s resonated with you, but please don’t post every little thing and over-share. Remember, if you’re using it as a marketing tool, your possible future employer will go to your social media sites.

A friend gave me a good tip- she recommended looking at it like a production company and everyday you have to put out new content. “You are the director, star, and producer of this content,” she said. “Have fun and be creative with it.” This was a theory I could 100% get behind… except the EVERYDAY part.

I think at the end of the day, it’s not so black and white. Everything comes down to an opinion. Some casting directors, agents and networks will care about your social media presence, and some won’t. The same goes for the rest of the world. But I can tell you this- your family, real friends and dogs give zero sh*ts about it, and at the end of the day, that’s what matters most.

Social media is not for everyone, and that’s okay. We should never feel pressure to be sharing every moment of our lives with everyone, especially people we’ve never actually met. Some of the most interesting and talented people I know don’t use any social media, and they work constantly. Maybe there is something to be said about being a little mysterious.

So if you ever ﬁnd yourself feeling like an InstaReject like I did, just remember that what you’re seeing are highlights of peoples lives. Highlights that have been strategically picked, ﬁltered and touched-up. Have fun with it, use it, but don’t let it use you. And remember, “It’s all make believe, isn’t it?”- Marilyn Monroe.

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Agnes Olech was born in Bielsko Biala, Poland. Now settled in Los Angeles, she loves spending her free time being outdoors and hanging with her dogs. She is an avid runner and animal advocate. She eats at least two avocados a day and hopes to have at least three avocado tress when she grows up. Agnes can be seen in Season Two of HBO's acclaimed series True Detective. She also recently appeared on ABC's Castle, guest starred on CBS's Intelligence opposite Josh Holloway, played Gerty alongside the very funny Adam DeVine on Workaholics and starred opposite Rob Lowe in the comedy web-series Butterfinger the 13th. Other TV appearances include FOX's New Girl, CBS' Rules of Engagement, General Hospital, and Comedy Central's Reno 911. Her dream is to make people laugh, and her motto for life is “Imagination is everything.” -Albert Einstein.

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